Shawnee County, KS Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Sec. ' Industrial and utility property gets a taller allowance under Sec. 04(b)(1)a: perimeter fencing at electric substations and on industrially zoned property may reach nine feet, made up of an eight-foot chain-link fence or wall topped by one foot of barbed wire. Front yards in the county's rural and residential districts are more restricted. Sec. 04(b)(2) allows only an open fence, such as chain-link, split rail, picket, or wrought iron, up to four feet tall to project into or enclose a required front yard in the 'RA-1,' 'RR-1,' 'R' and 'M' districts, and it expressly excludes privacy fencing from that front-yard allowance; fencing built for an on-site agricultural use is exempt from the front-yard limit entirely.

Any front-yard fence must still stay clear of the sight triangle at intersections. Sec. 04(b)(3) sets the measurement method: height is measured from the ground to the top of the fence, with a one-inch allowance for mowing and trimming clearance at the base, up to three inches of tolerance for uneven or sloping terrain, and fence posts are not counted against the height limit unless a post rises more than one foot above the fence itself. Location rules in Sec. 04(c) bar any fence from extending into the public right-of-way or sitting closer than one foot from a public sidewalk, require county engineer sign-off that a fence will not create a traffic hazard under Sec.

24-132 of the Shawnee County Code, prohibit fences in platted or recorded drainage easements absent Public Works Department clearance, and require a five-foot clearance around fire hydrants unless waived in writing by the applicable fire district. Design standards in Sec. 04(d) additionally bar any fence built in a manner hazardous or dangerous to persons or animals. R. Resolution 2011-2, Sec. R. Resolution 2012-8, Sec. 2, effective October 8, 2012.